Najee Harris will be at the top of a lot of fantasy football draft boards this season. The running back will also be a popular Pittsburgh Steelers player to bet on.
Pennsylvania sportsbooks have player props available to bet on, including various prop markets for Harris. Bettors can wager on rushing yards, receiving yards and touchdowns for the 2022 NFL season.
The Steelers relied heavily on Harris last season with Ben Roethlisberger on his last leg. Now that Roethlisberger retired, it’s likely that Harris will still be a focal point of the offense with journeyman Mitch Trubisky and rookie Kenny Pickett as the top two quarterbacks on the roster.
Najee Harris betting preview
Harris was highly touted coming into the NFL as the Steelers drafted the 24-year-old out of Alabama with the 24th overall pick in 2021. Najee Harris finished the season with more than respectable numbers. He had 1,200 rushing yards with seven touchdowns. His receiving numbers included 74 receptions on 94 targets with 467 yards and three touchdowns. Harris was second in the NFL in carries in 307 behind Jonathan Taylor’s 332 and first in receptions among running backs. Harris led all running backs in snaps (980) and touches (381).
It is hard to imagine Harris being able to sustain that usage rate year after year, and the Steelers know that. During mini-camp, it was reported that the Steelers plan to lighten Harris’ workload this season.
Harris had an up-and-down rookie season, but much of that could be due to the players around him. He only had three 100-yard games and rushed for fewer than 50 yards seven times. Pro Football Focus (PFF) rated the Steelers offensive line 26th overall. In terms of run blocking, PFF ranked the Steelers at 24th, generating just 0.9 yards before contact on average (29th).
The Steelers added to their line in free agency by signing guard James Daniels to a three-year, $26.5 million deal. Daniels was a four-year starter in Chicago. The Steelers also signed center Mason Cole to a free-agent contract. Cole has started 39 out of 60 games for Arizona and Minnesota.
Pittsburgh Steelers projected offensive line:
- LT: Dan Moore, Jr. (returning)
- LG: Kevin Dotson (returning)
- C: Mason Cole
- RG: James Daniels
- RT: Chukwuma Okorafor (returned as free agent)
Harris was also not helped by Roethlisberger playing like a shell of himself in his final season. With Trubisky and Pickett, the Steelers might not have upgraded at quarterback for this season.
Najee Harris season-long NFL props
DraftKings sportsbook in PA released season props for many big-name running backs this season.
Here are some Najee Harris regular season rushing props available:
- Yards: Over 1,200.5 (-105)/Under 1,200.5 (-125)
- Touchdowns: Over 9.5 (-105)/Under 9.5 (-125)
- Rushing + Receiving Yards: Over 1,600.5 (-110) / Under 1,600.5 (-120)
BetMGM Sportsbook in Pennsylvania has the same rushing touchdown total at 9.5 but differs on total rushing yards with 1,149.5 at -115 for both the over and under.
DraftKings considers Najee Harris in the NFL’s upper echelon of running backs. Here is where Harris stacks up in league-leader odds for rushing:
Regular season most rushing yards odds
- Jonathan Taylor: +450
- Derrick Henry: +650
- Dalvin Cook: +1000
- Nick Chubb: +1000
- Najee Harris: +1400
- Joe Mixon: +1400
- Javonte Williams: +2000
Regular season most rushing touchdowns odds
- Jonathan Taylor: +450
- Derrick Henry: +650
- Joe Mixon: +900
- Dalvin Cook: +1000
- James Connor: +1400
- Najee Harris: +1400
- Damien Harris: +1600
Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 NFL odds
The last time the Steelers had a losing record was 2003. Sportsbooks have set the Steelers win total for 2022 at 7 games and they are projected to finish last in the AFC North.
Lead image Nick Wass/AP
